National Walk to Cure Arthritis Honorees

2017 National Youth Honoree

Mariah Aquino-Truss

Mariah Aquino-Truss is a 10-year-old on a mission. Diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at the age of five, her disease causes severe pain and can even limit her ability to walk. But despite her pain, Mariah is living her dreams – singing and dancing with her performing arts group and helping the world see that kids do get arthritis, too.

Mariah is speaking up for kids just like her who need better access to care and better treatment options to help them manage their arthritis. She’s also raising funds through her Walk to Cure Arthritis team, “Mariah’s Movers,” which has raised more than $20,000 since 2011.

2017 National Young Adult Honoree

Kathryn Sundquist

For more than eight years, 15-year-old Kathryn Sundquist has been learning to manage and overcome juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. She’s has made it her mission to live well and thrive despite her disease, all while telling the world that kids get arthritis, too, and raising funds to support the Arthritis Foundation and its mission.

As the Miss Jr. Teen Minnesota 2015, Kathryn was able to give a voice to all the young people living with arthritis and help others understand how demanding a juvenile arthritis (JA) diagnosis can be on a child and their families. But she’s not just speaking up about JA, she’s also raising funds to support the Arthritis Foundation and its mission to bring us closer to a cure. As the top fundraiser and youth honoree for the 2015 Northern Lakes Walk to Cure Arthritis and this year’s national Walk to Cure Arthritis honoree, Kathryn is ready to take on the challenge of raising her voice and funds during the 2017 Walk to Cure Arthritis season.

2017 National Adult Honoree

Tom Walker

As a former MLB pitcher, Tom Walker’s had his fair share of hard fought victories. But for more than 40 years, his toughest opponent has been the inflammation, decreased mobility and severe pain caused by osteoarthritis (OA).

Even after multiple joint replacements, Tom is determined to not let arthritis slow him down. Since 2014, he’s raised more than $90,000 for the Arthritis Foundation. And last year alone, Tom and his team, “Walker’s Walkers,” raised more than $20,000 through the 2016 Pittsburgh Walk to Cure Arthritis event. This year, Tom hopes to raise even more to help the Arthritis Foundation fight for access to care and fund breakthrough research that can help develop new treatments.